How City Care develops young people

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With the boom and bust nature of construction reducing their potential talent pool, City Care – a provider of infrastructure services across New Zealand – had to plan smart to attract more staff. Otherwise the possible risks to a business like theirs could be in costs of recruitment here and overseas as well as for contracts to overrun.

City Care decided that the best way to prevent skill shortages and to give back to the community was to engage with young people and develop their staff.

City Care trains for the future

City Care’s career development has three components:

Pre-apprenticeship scheme - In this scheme students over 16 years old join City Care for one year. During this year they work across City Care’s divisions in roads, traffic, waste water and parks. Students complete a New Zealand Certificate in Infrastructure Works (Level 2) while working.At the end of the year City Care interviews the students about their interests and tries to match them with work based on their career interests and aptitudes. They also help set them up with their apprenticeship training.

Civil Construction Cadet programme - In this scheme tertiary students are paid to work for 2-3 years across City Care’s divisions while they study. This makes them ready for junior site engineering, further specialisation or an operational role at the company.

Management training programmes - City Care trains its new managers in management skills and offers ongoing training. City Care recognises the need for ongoing career development to retain and attract good quality staff.